Our History

EMI was founded in Los Angeles by Rod Wilson in 1984 and has since grown to be the leader in electronic outdoor advertising signs in Southern California. The idea for EMI began much like the best ideas do, on a cocktail napkin on a flight back home. That cocktail napkin turned into a piece of paper, an email to a lawyer and EMI was born. The EMI concept, complete and full service for the entire life on an advertising display, was there at inception on the cocktail napkin and by sheer determination grew into reality. Over the past 30+ years EMI has done what most clients thought was impossible: changing City ordinances, obtaining Cal Trans permits and building signs bigger than anything existing, all while participating in the creation of major LA institutions such as the Staples Center and forging relationships in the public and private sectors to last a lifetime. If it wasn’t done, EMI did it, if it was impossible, EMI achieved it, if it hadn’t been dreamt, EMI dreamed it, and if it needed a miracle, EMI found one. Proof? EMI started in the garage of Rod Wilson’s Hermosa Beach home with a handful of clients and now has a two story office building with over 300 clients and over 100 electronic signs throughout Southern California and a few sprinkled in over the nation. But our history is far from over – come be a part of it!

EMI walks you through every step necessary to get your sign built and up and running. Unlike our competitors, our services include much more than just the physical elements of your sign.

Since day one, EMI has stood by the longevity, reliability and quality of the products we provide our clients. Having a close relationship with our sign manufacturers and vendors allows us to introduce and offer the newest, top-of-the-line technology to our customers at a wholesale price. EMI walks you through every step necessary to get your advertising machine built and up and running. Unlike our competitors, our services include much more than just the physical elements of your electronic sign. EMI's expert sales and project management team takes you from vendor selection to vendor price negotiation, permit attainment and possible City funding, to excellently coordinated installation. From there, the extensively trained EMI Maintenance team and crane fleet, graphic design team, and software programmers provide same day to next day service with all the in-house essential tools to keep your sign running in top condition and displaying state-of-the-art advertising content to hundreds of thousands of viewers all day, every day.